Device for amplifying feeble electrical currents.



No. 841,387. PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. L. DE FOREST.-

DEVIGE FOR .AMP LIPYING PEBBLE ELECTRICAL CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 841,387. a PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907. L. DE FOREST. DEVICE FOR AMPLIPYING'PBEBLE ELECTRICAL GURRHNTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TENT OFFICE.

LEE .DE'i-OF YORK. N. Y. I we; son ampusvmer'sssts ELECTRIQAL cunnsn'rs.

sesame-7.

To all whom it may concern:

- Beit known that 1, Les n1; Fonnsr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Yorlnin the county of New York and State-of NewYork, have invented a new and My invention will be described with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, and in I C. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-, 6, and Trapresent conventionally or diagrammatically various arrangements of apparatus and circuit's'where-- by my invention may be carried into effect. In the figures, A represents an evacuated vessel inclosing a sensitive eoiiducting gaseousmedium maintained ina condition of molecular activity.

. "His; signal-indicating device.

B B are batteries or other sources of electrical energy.

e D E DZ are electrodes sealed within the rece tacle A. v I

. circuit B R I) E isa local receiving circuit. The circuit F is a line-circuit conveying the currents to be amplified to the am' device. The electrode E, which maybe 0 platinum, tantalum, carbon, or other suitab e material, is heated and preferably maintained incandescent by the battery B. The electrodesD and D which may be plates of platinum or other suitable mate:

rial, are placed in close proximity to the electrode E, and when the electrode D is emplo ed its separation from the electrode E re erablyis less than that of the electrode therefrom; In Fig. l, N vS represent a magnet placed adjacent to the vessel A. The currentstohe amplified may be impressed upon the cu'cuit whichincludes the heated electrode or filament E-as, for exam le', means of the transformer M-and the magnetic field set up by these currents reacts upon the field set u by the magnet N- S, therebycausing a s ht variation in the separation between 5 5 the electrodes D E. I have found that. the

slightest variation in the separation of the mm. hummus and October 20.1900. Serial 10. 340,457.

- am lified in this case is coi a through thespringsb b, and the resulting rotation of the coil varies the separation Patented Jan. 10,1007.

latter are close together, and such variation indicating device R. t In Fig. 2 the current to between the electrodes D and E, and thereby alter, by electrostatic attraction the.- separation betweenthe electrodes. D may be a strip of platinum-foil, and the slightest approac thereof toward the filament will act to slightlycool the gaseous medium, and thereby alter the current. in the local circuit, or, if D is rigid, the increase in electrostatic attraction between D E vwill cause E-to recede :from D, and thereby alter the current in the local circuit.

In Fig. 3- the filament E is connected, by means 'of'a minute platinumwire I, to ths arm J which is secured to the coil (2, placed curedto the-walls of the vs. A through the spiral springs b b'. The line-current "to be passed through the between the electrodes DE, thereby altering the current in the local circuit.

be impressed upon the gaseousjmedium 1ntervening between D'and E. by means of the transformer M. A condenser C may cluded in series with the seconds transformer and the electrmlcl! D E. In this case there'may or ma not be a variation between the separation o the electrodes,and the currents to be amplified may vary the motions of the ions around the filament, thereby. controll' to a greater d "the fluxbetweensaid -amentandtheelectrodeD. In Fig. 5 the currentsto be amplified niay -he passedthrou'gh the solenoid surro the magnet N S, and thereby vary the fiel which by coactmg with the magnetic'fie'ld surrounding the electrode '16 determ nes the normal separation of the electrodesD andE. Even without creating actual movements, be tween the electrodes D and Ethe magnetic flux roduced'by the lineecmrent passing thror the solenoid L will afiect the motion ofth'e ions. the gaseous medium, andth'erehy alter the purrent in'the local cirbetween the .poles of them et H and se-- cuit. L In 6 the electrode n my be consti-'- hot and cold electrodes produces a large and disproportionately greater variation in the r flux between said electrodes, especially if the in flux may be made manifest by the signalbe amplified may I I be impressed upon the medium intervening (In Fig. 4' the currents-tobe'amplified may surrounding the magnet, Q, effect phone-circuit including 55 tive-conducJg tuted of iron or may consist of platinum plates rovided with small iron armatures O O. 11 either case the currents to be amplified by passing through the solenoids P P,

5 which surround the poles ofthe magnet N, effect-the desired variation in the separation of the electrodes D and E.

In Fig. 7 the electrode D and diaphragm S may both be rigidly seemed to the inside and re outside, respectively, of the glass wall of the vessel'A at a point where said well has been.

flattened and madevery thin, like the crystal of a watch. The currents tobeam hfied 1n this case by operating upon the c0 PCP,

movements of the diap'r 1 S, and these movements are -mechamcally traitted through the glass wall of the vessel A to the" electrode D, :theieby varyingthe current so the local receiving-circuit.

It'will' be ob "one that theamplifying device, which constitutes the s'ubject-matterpf the present invention, is not limited n its use to any particular kind ofelectrical circuit app ication wherever an amp device is fuired. By we of example of its applicason to a wire te egraph or cable s stem 1 have shown the line F in Fig. .1 as inc uding a. 0 telegraph transmitting-k cg T and source of vibrato current G. In 'ig. 2 I have shown the line as constituting the local circuit of a wireless-telegraph receiving system including .the liatte B and oscillation-detector T the latter [sing connected in series with an antenna V and the earth E. In Fig. 4 I have shown the line F as constituting a telemicrophonetransmitter T and battery B In all instances it will. be understood bythose skilled in the art and without going into further detail that the I l-indicatingdevice R,which is incluin the local receiving-circuit, may be any dsvicesuitable for the purpose of re- 5 producing the linitiated inthe line F I do not limit myself to any of the ecific embodiments of my invention herein described, inasmuch as man modifications Will readily occur to thoses 'lled in the art without departing irom the principle of'my invention;

1 clainF- 1 1. In a device for amplify-i rents, an evacuated vesse osing a ia i- 1 :u a t i ned in a condition of molecular activity, two electrodes seafied said vessel, alocai re- GGll M ciated seid electrical curparatus, but that it is ca "able of general rieswith one of said electrodes, a local receiv- 1ng-c1rcuit associated with said electrodes, and means whereby the separation of said a source of electric energy connected in se- 7 electrodes may be varied by'the currents to r be amplified.

i. In a device for amplif 'ng electrical currents, an evacuated vessel three electrodes sealed within said vessel, means for heating one of said electrodes, a local receiving-(air; cuit including two of said electrodes, and

between one of the electrodes which is included in the receiving-circuit and the electrode.

I 5. In a device for ampli electrical currents, an evacuated vessel mclosing a gaseous medium, means other thanthe received energy for maintaining said gus medium in a condition of molecular activity, means for impressing the currents to be amplified upon said gaseous medium, and a local receivingcircuit having its electrodes sealed within said vessel. I

6. In a device for amplifying electrical currents, an evacuated vessel, a heated trode and two non-heated electrodes sealed within said vessel, the non-heated electrodes being unequally spaced with respect tO SB Jd heated electrode, a local receiving-circuit mcluding said heated electrode and'that one of the non-heated electrodes which haathe greater separation from the heated electrode,

,means for passing the current to be amplified elec . log

and means for passing the current tobe am plified between the heatedelectrode and the other non-heated electrode.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto will scribed my name this 17th day'of @ctohei', 1906.

LEE DE sonas'r.

Witnesses: I

' R POLK BUELL,

, firmer WILLIAMS 

